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A Chinatown Gentleman, San Francisco, CA, circa 1943

Subjects
Ethnic CommunitiesPortraits
Card type
Linen
Date
c. 1943 (Linen)
Front of A Chinatown Gentleman, San Francisco, CA, circa 1943, c. 1943 linen postcard
Front
Back of A Chinatown Gentleman, San Francisco, CA, circa 1943, c. 1943 linen postcard
Back

About this postcard

A Chinese man in a red cap and light tunic stands reading a newspaper or document, framed by a dark blue storefront or window. The caption presents him as one of San Francisco Chinatown's dignified, friendly merchants, the proprietors of herb shops and bazaars who welcomed visitors to the neighborhood. It calls him a "sublime expression of the spirit of the Orient" and a representative of the area's "welcome to the West." By the late 1930s, Chinatown was an established tourist destination, rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake and known for its restaurants, curio shops, and herbalists. The caption's language reflects a common tourist view of Chinatown as a place of exotic commerce and courteous welcome.

Postcard Details

Message

No message detected

PublisherSmith News Co.
A Chinatown Gentleman San Francisco, California --- A CHINATOWN GENTLEMAN All visitors to San Francisco's Chinatown are impressed by the dignified, yet friendly Chi- nese merchants, whether they be proprietors of tiny HERB shops or of the great bazaars. Here is the sublime expression of the spirit of the Orient as exemplified by these gentlemen in their welcome to the West.
Addressed to

No address detected

Postcard record

PublisherSmith News Co.
Series18774
ConditionVery good
Place mentionedSan Francisco, CA
PublisherSan Francisco, CA
NotesLinen texture visible; no white border. No postmark; unused card. Divided back, linen-textured stock, "Colourpicture" publication (mid-20th c.). Pencil dealer marks "#59" and "1-" at lower right. No stamp, no address, no message.

Cite this card

A Chinatown Gentleman, San Francisco, CA, circa 1943, postcard, c. 1943. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/a-chinatown-gentleman-san-francisco-ca-circa-1943. Accessed November 2, 2026.